Ralph C. Gatrone, Ph.D., age 72, of Kingston, passed away on Sunday, July 27, 2025, surrounded by his loving family after a long and courageous battle with heart disease.

Born April 3, 1953 in Wyoming, he was the son of the late Carl Gatrone and Florence Saracheski Gatrone. He was a graduate of Wyoming Area High School and Wilkes University where he also played football. Ralph graduated from the University at Buffalo where he earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry and he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University.

Ralph was a devoted and practicing Catholic who served as a religious education instructor and lector. He lived his life guided by his deep faith, which remained central to him throughout his life.

As a chemist, Ralph worked in the private sector followed by the U.S. Department of Energy for many years. In addition, he was a college professor at several colleges and universities and taught at Sacred Heart in Carbondale and Holy Cross in Dunmore. He held several U.S. and international patents, and was honored to serve as Program Chairman for the Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry within the American Chemical Society. Among his many accolades, he received the prestigious R&D 100 Award in 1994, recognizing his development of Diphonix Ion Exchange Resin as one of the 100 most technologically significant new products that year.

After retiring from teaching, Ralph pursued his passion for the culinary arts by taking classes at LCCC and working as a prep chef at local restaurants. He loved watching cooking shows and preparing meals for family and friends, especially during the holidays. A lifelong traveler, he enjoyed road trips and especially cherished family vacations to Stone Harbor, New Jersey. An avid ice hockey fan, Ralph found great joy in the game and was a Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins season ticket holder for many years. He also enjoyed drawing and sketching, creating beautiful pieces of artwork.

He often said he wanted “a life well lived,” and those who knew him would wholeheartedly agree that he achieved that and more.

Ralph is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, the former Colleen Good Driscoll; children, Laura Hudak and her husband, Michael, Plymouth; Ralph Gatrone and his wife, Allison, Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Dr. Erin Gatrone and her husband, Matthew Lindenberg, Chapin, South Carolina; and grandchildren, Collin Gatrone, Dean Hudak, Charlotte Gatrone, Rose Gatrone, Thomas Gatrone, Ellie Gatrone and Sophia Gatrone, Driscoll Lindenberg, and twins, Avalon and Nola Lindenberg. Ralph is also survived by his sister-in-law, Leslie Driscoll, her husband, Jake Sheridan, and their children Shannon, Callan, and Jacob, and by his sister, Sharon Gatrone Majorana, who assisted him during his illness; as well as dear family and friends.

The Gatrone family would like to thank the administration, faculty, staff, students, and alumni at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore for their care, concern, love, and prayers, especially during these last two years. They would also like to thank Ralph’s Bayada Home Health Care team.

A private funeral service was held on Saturday, August 9, 2025 at the S.J. Grontkowski Funeral Home, 530 West Main Street, Plymouth, with Rev. Brian Clarke officiating.

In lieu of flowers, contributions, if desired, may be made to the charity of one’s choosing – Ralph supported causes related to animals, libraries and education, and the arts.

To share online condolences with Ralph's family, please visit www.sjgrontkowskifuneralhome.com.